Translation
The Federal Administration serves a multilingual population, and so is required to produce publications and documents in German, French and Italian. Some official texts are also published in Romansh and in English.
Network of translators in the Federal Administration
The translators in the Federal Administration are organised into a network comprising, for each of the official languages (German, French and Italian):
- The Central Language Services of the Confederation, based in the Federal Chancellery
- The central language services in the federal departments
- Translators working for the federal offices
Translations into English are produced by the English Language Service in the Federal Chancellery and by translators in the federal departments and offices. The Romansh language service is also based in the Federal Chancellery; a sole person coordinates the Romansh translations for the whole of the Federal Administration.
Further information
- English
- Style Guides for English-language translators
- Central Language Services, Terminology Section
- Conference of Translation Services of European States (COTSOES)
Contact
Central Language Services
Terminology Section
Gurtengasse 3
3003 Bern
Checklist for translation assignments
Good cooperation is the best guarantee of the quality of a translation. Authors of texts can benefit from the work of the translator, who provides a meticulous first reading of the text. A close working relationship with the language services will result in higher quality translation.
Outsourcing translations
Does a translation need to be outsourced? How do I outsource a translation?
Romansh
Romansh is a national language and a semi-official language of the Confederation. The Federal Chancellery receives assignments for translations into Romansh from the whole of the Federal Administration and coordinates the translation work.
English
English is neither an official nor a national language of Switzerland, yet it plays an important role in our country. The Federal Chancellery’s English Language Service translates texts into English for many of the federal offices and agencies and for the Parliamentary Services.